Quick Look at this Easy Dairy Free Pesto Recipe
- Ready In: 10 minutes
- Main Ingredients: Fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, nutritional yeast, and olive oil.
- Dietary Info: dairy-free, gluten-free, and plant-based.
- Why You’ll Love It: It’s the same fresh-flavored pesto flavors that you know and love with parmesan cheese swapped out for nutritional yeast. Still creamy, nutty, and fresh!
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Dairy Free Pesto Ingredients & Variations
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Basil: Use up all of that sweet basil from the garden or swap in half for spinach, arugula, or even mixed greens!
- Pine Nuts: Don’t have any or simply don’t want to spend a pretty penny on these? Swap them out for walnuts, cashews, or almonds.
- Nutritional Yeast: Different from baking yeast, this type is deactivated and sold as flakes. It provides a nutty and savory flavor similar to cheese. I buy mine at a health foods store in the refrigerated produce section.
How to Make Dairy Free Pesto
Step 1 – Place pesto ingredients into a food processor.
Step 2 – Turn on food processor and drizzle in olive oil.
Step 3 – Blend until ingredients have combined.
Step 4 – Enjoy!
How To Use Dairy Free Pesto
Dairy free pesto can be used in any recipe where we call for regular pesto like our pesto salmon, pesto caprese sandwich, or our pesto turkey meatballs. If you’re looking for a quick but delicious appetizer, use dairy free pesto on our tomato burrata salad. It’s SO good!
Dairy Free Pesto Sauce FAQ
A typical pesto recipe contains parmesan cheese, making it not dairy-free.
Place extra dairy free pesto in a freezer-safe container like this silicone tray and put it in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Pop out the frozen cubes and place them in a freezer-safe bag so you have pre-portioned amounts!
Walnuts are the most often used pine nut substitute due to their similar texture and flavor. Cashews will provide for the creamiest pesto while almonds will have a crunchier texture.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine – Add basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice and kosher salt into small food processor.
- Drizzle – Turn on food processor and slowly add oil.
- Taste – Once you've reached desired consistency, taste and add additional salt, oil, or pine nuts.
Notes
- Garlic: This recipe is a little on the heavier side with the garlic so feel free to start with just one clove of garlic (especially if it is big) and add more if desired.
- Nutritional Yeast: This is the cheese substitute, but feel free to omit.
- Storage: Freeze up to 3-4 month. Store in refrigerator 5-7 days, in airtight container.
Liz says
I made this for when I had a dairy-free family member coming into town and they LOVED it!
Judith says
This is delicious.
Monica says
Looks delicious my son has a nut allergy what could I substitute for the pine nuts? Thank you!